How do we motivate people to become more politically active?

I meet a lot of people who are liberal Democrats and have the same views as a lot of us on DU. But for one reason or another, they aren't interested in spending their time on political change, even if its just signing petitions or donating money or contacting a representative. Remember the term "silent majority"? I think the majority are now very frustrated and unhappy but still not motivated to do anything about it other than vote.

:shrug:

Or maybe I should say: How do we motivate more people to become politically active?

Maybe feeling personably responsible for what is happening would help.

moderate views. Some people don't care about Bush character (head in sand) and they just want their country back from aggression and happy-go-warriors.

ago...I was one who sat numb on 9/11 after taking a wait and see approach after the stolen election...I was one who finally took up a torch and went to work. There are others like me. The media just doesn't want you to know it. We must speak louder. Take heart we are in the thousands. Four years ago...I wouldn't have been on here everyday.

and my motivation grew not just out of concern for the overall political situation but my own unemployment which gave me a personal reason to be very angry, and the time to do something about it...

...get your county and state party to put you on their e-mail list so you can be reminded when the meetings are. I did this and still never go... but I do feel guilty... and plan to go sometime soon.

I always check out the Ga. forum, and yesterday, there was a post where someone was looking for people in District 10 to form a group to get some Dems involved.

I responded because that's my district, and I too was very upset that in 2004, almost every incumbant Pub ran upopposed!

I think everyone should maybe post something like that in their State forum here on DU. It's a good way to make some contacts and maybe get something good going.

This is what I hear from my mother. This is a woman who manages to interpret most of what CNN reports and still gets the truth out of it, and is even fairly well-informed.

THIS FROM A WOMAN WHO MARCHED WITH DR. KING She had to sneak out of her parent's house to go.

It was damned near impossible to even get her to vote -- BY MAIL -- last November. She won't donate a cent or even sign an internet petition, much less go to a phone bank or knock on a door. She's upset when I do, in fact, saying "you'll just get your heart broken." (she's a good mom, isn't she? still concerned about her son getting his heart broken :))

She stills pays attention, but has basically been actionably apathetic for the last twenty years. I suspect it was either Ford's pardons or Reagan's election that finally did her in, but there you go.

If we could get her back, we could get anybody.

I don't think I could ever be discouraged from this. Even if someone who I look up to like John Kerry was exposed as a fraud for some reason, it wouldn't faze me. I never trust those who have power, no matter who's side their on. If I am ever in a position of power, I would have everyone doubt me as well.

I think your mother once knew she had something she needed to do. She may have experienced something that broke her heart and I am sorry for her. However, one must look into ones soul and find the strength to look at the world and find what one can do to help.

I hope we can get her back. :hi:

motivator. We need to have more personal stories told nationwide to let the people who have not been effected yet know what is coming if we don't get change toward the left. More restrictions, more rights lost, more jobs lost, more poverty and ill health.

Show them the great step backward the people on the right want to take and how it will effect them.

because unfortunately this is where most of them get their motivation.

We need to hammer home that change CAN happen, but it ONLY happens when someone works for it.

...and have far too little time outside of work. I'm lucky that when I am waiting for a customer to appear I can be here at DU. At home I do not have that luxury.

But for the first time in my life:

I have donated to the DNC.
I have become educated on the issues.
I have joined like minded people in discussion.
I am trying to become more politically active.

If you can get ME involved you are beginning to turn the tide.
:banghead:

Why vote...it's rigged. We know that. There are many regular citizens that have experienced the last two presidential elections and agree—folks that are not politically active, but they know the truth when they see it. Why would they vote again?

I wouldn't be totally surprised if the next change is an overthrow. However, that's probably a long way off. In the interim, we've got what we've got...

"you live in the America you have, not the America you might want or wish to have at a later date"

(quote adapted from Rumsfeld).

Love to all who are trying to live a good life, and in terms of politics are trying to "get it right".

The Nazi connection is key. They are afraid of the government, but only slightly so.

Terror of the knock on the door at 3AM to whisk them off to the nearshore Abu Ghraibs to be sodomized and mutilated, terror of the genocidal mania of the Bush administration shortly to be turned toward the populace after it becomes impotent in foreign military conflicts, terror of the true terrorist killing his own constituents as a pretext for killing more of his constituents in the effort to impose the horrors of his own country's prisons upon foreign peoples, these things are the motivators, the keys to mobilizing the masses who understand nothing but the of falsely ascribed fear of the Muslim and the purely propaganda-constructed godless atheist abortionist sexual deviants.

The difference between Bush celebrated and uplifted to the rank of Fuhrer by the religious reich and ejecting Bush from office as a war criminal is the difference between life and death. And until people understand it they will never do anything but what propaganda tells them to.